Infusion package with handle



Oct. 3, 1944. L. BARNETT INFUSION PACKAGE WITH HANDLES Filed July 9,1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

Oct. 3, 1944.

L. BARNETT INFUSION PACKAGE WITH HANDLES Filed July 9, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Oct. 3, 1944 INFUSION PACKAGE WITH HANDLE.

Louis Barnett, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to National Urn Bag Company,Inc., a corporation of New York Application July 9', 1942, Serial No.450,299

3 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of filled containers or bags,and more particularly is directed to infusion packages, such as teaballswith handles and like articles of manurfacture.

Among the objects of the invention are to generally improve theconstruction of filled containers or bags in the form of infusionpackages with handles as inexpensive articles of manufacture, whichshall comprise few and simple parts, which shall be easy and cheap tomanufacture, which shall be capable of quantity production on automaticsuper high-speed packaging machines, which shall have pressure heatsealed joint seams forming an improved means for retaining orreinforcing the connection of the handle with the bag portion of thepackage, and which shall be practical and efficient to a high degree inuse.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out: The invention accordingly consists of featuresof constructions, combinations of elements, arrangements of theconstructions hereinafter described and of which the scope of theapplication will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possibleillustrative embodiments of this invention.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a square shaped teaball with heat sealed seamjoint and. handle attached constructed to embody the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are cross sectional views taken on lines 22 and 3-3 inFig. 1, Fig. 3 being enlarged.

Fig. 4 is a plane view of the improved teaball shown in Fig. 1 with thehandle folded about and releasably retained to package in form forpacking and shipping. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on lines5-5 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view similar to Fig. 1 showing the handleattached to one corner of the package bag.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of a pouch shaped tea-ball with heat sealed seamjoints folded bag portions and handle attached constructed to embody theinvention.

Figs. 8 and 9 are cross sectional views taken on lines 8-8 and 9-9 inFig. 7.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of another form of pouch-shaped tea ball formwith heat sealed seam joints, gathered or twisted bag portions and aparts which will be exemplified in handle attached at said portionsconstructed to embody the invention.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of another form tea-ball bag having an integralhandle and shown in partial manufactured state construction embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the improved square shaped tea-ball with theintegral handle completed from the bag shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view taken on lines l3-l3 in Fig. 12.

Figs. 14 and 15 are views like Figs. 12 and 13, respectively, exceptthat the former show an additional reinforcement in the handleconstruction.

Fig. 16 is another pouch shape tea-ball formed with an integral handlefrom the partially manufactured construction shown in Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings, 20 denotes one improved construction of afilled infusion package in the form of a square-shaped tea-ballmanufactured to embody the invention. As seen from Figs. 1, 2 and 3, thetea-ball 20 may comprise a. bag portion made of a strip of filter sheetmaterial 2| folded over on itself to provide a. bottom fold edge 22forming two superimposed layers, that is, overlying portions providingthe flattened sides of tea-ball 20 which are secured along the marginalareas on the remaining three edge portions at border joint seams orflanges 23, 24 and 25 to completely seal the tea-ball bag thus formed,said tea-ball bag being partially filled with an essence containingproduct T, such as tea, which forms the contents thereof.

The strip of sheet material 2| may be supplied from a suitable sourcein. the form of a web of the required width (not shown) in the wellunderstood manner, a sufficient length of said web-being cut and foldedto form the tea-ball bag. Or, precut strips of sheet material 2| ofproper shape and length may form such supply source if desired; Sheetmaterial 2| is of foraminous construction, as for example, filter paper,perforated parchment paper or Cellophane, cotton gauze and the like.That used in the practice of the invention here described may comprise afilter paper base layer Zla coated on one side with a thermosettingpartially fused" plastic lamina 2Ib of the character described in theapplication of Theodore F. Menzel, Serial No. 335,694, filed May 17,1940, or of other suitable filter sheet base layer coated with athermosetting plastic lamina for forming the heat sealed border jointseams of flanges 24 at the top. and similar spaced flanges 23 and 25 onopposite sides in the manner hereinafter more fully described. f

A suitable filter paper sheet for forming base layer 2m may be made of avegetable fibrous pulp stock, said layer Zia. with thermosetting coatingor lamina 2Ib being such that when made into the tea-ball bag hassufficient wet strength to withstand immersion in boiling water withoutdamage or disintegration and without undue loss of tensile strength. Thefiltering sheet material 2| comprising the layer 2| a and coating 2!!)when forming the tea-ball bags must be such as topermit ready infusion,that is, passage therethrough of the water of immersion for brewing andstraining the filling or tea contents T, said layer 2Ia, coating Nb andflanges 23, 24 and 25 being of such composition that they arenon-toxic,-insolub1e in hot boiling water, and impart no odor or tasteeven to the slightest degree to the brew.

It has been found in practice that a 6 pound fibrous pulp stock sheet ofapproximately .001 inch thick of high wet tensile strength forms apractical filter paper layer 2la for the purposes described therein. Onsuch layer 2Ia a finely powdered copolymer of vinyl chloride and vinylacetate may be uniformly sprinkled or sprayed, partially fused by heatto 60 C. and pressure rolled thereon for providing a satisfactory,pervious, dry and extremely thin coating or lamina 2lb which does notmaterially affect the filtering capacity of the layer 2la. Approxi- Imately three ounces of such vinyl powder for each pound of said layer2|a will form said coating or lamina Zlb of normally less than .0005inch thick.

Sheet material 2| after taken from a supply source is cut to therequired size, made into the tea-ball bags and filled with the contentsT, the tea-ball bags each having the coating 2lb of the sheet material2| positioned on the interior surfaces thereof so that the border edgejoint seams or flanges 23, 24 and 25 are sealed on placing the coatingportion thereof in face to face relation and applying pressure and heatto a fusion temperature by suitable clamping means of any well knownconstruction. With the coating or lamina 2|b formed of the partiallyfused vinyl powder permanent sealing fusion will take place whenpressure and heat of approximately 130 C. is applied.

In the manufacturing of infusion packages for tea-balls and the like, ithas heretofore been found desirable to include as part of the packagesome form of handle to manipulate the tea-ball during the brewingoperation which may be carried out in a cup, and also to provide a tagwhich bears a legend such as the name or trademark of the manufacturer,grade of tea, etc. Such handles are most frequently provided by a stringor stitched thread attached to the teaball bag, the free end of thestring handle being terminated by the tag. The provision of such stringhandles and tags in the construction of such complete tea-balls not onlyincreases the cost of manufacturing by employing various additionalmaterials, but also complicates the production process by requiringadditional steps and when made on high speed automatic machinesnecessitates the use of expensive apparatus.

To simplify the manufacture and make available simpler, less expensiveand super highspeed machines for the production of tea-balls withhandles having means for carrying legends,

the tea-ball 20, made as above described and shown in Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, with the heat sealed joint seams or flanges 23, 24 and .26has one of said flanges, as for example, top flanges 24 providedpreferably at its midportion, with an attachment or junction 24a withone end portion 26a of a strip handle 26.

Said handle 26 may be made of any suitable sheet material which is ofsuch composition that it is insoluble in boiling water, and that willimpart no toxic, odor or taste even to the slightest degree to theinfusion. Most commercially available so-called parchment papers havebeen found practicable for making handles 26.

In order to assemble the handle 26 to the filled bag portion of thetea-ball 20, the strip of paper forming the handle 26 has the endportion 260 thereof inserted between mid-portions of the top edge borderof the fiat side of the bag forming the flange 24 before the latter ispressure heatsealed, the width of said strip end 26a extending onlypartially the length of the flange 24 and being centrally located tooutwardly extend from edge seam joint or flange 24 as shown in Figs. 1and 2. The handle 26 thus normally lies in a plane extending through thejunction closure of flange 24 and through the contents T as shown inFig. 2.

When the bag portion of tea-ball 20 is made of the filter paper baselayer 2Ia having the porous coating or thin lamina Zlb as abovedescribed, on permanently heat sealing the seam joint at the top flange24 with the handle end 26a interposed, said lamina 2!?) has sufficientbody to firmly adhere to the opposite side of said handle end 2611forming the junction 24a and anchoring the handle 26 to the bag portionof the tea-ball 20 at the same time as providing a tight closure along,the entire length of the seam joint of flange 24.

Preferably the portion of the flange 24 at the junction 24a betweenwhich the handle end 26a is embedded has a cross-corrugation 21construction thereat so as to increase the anchoring effect of thestructure where the handle 26 is attached to said flange 24. This crosscorrugation 21 thus provides a reinforcement to said anchoringattachment 2411. by displacing the fused heat sealed sheet material outof a normally ,aligning plane of the flange 24 as seen from Figs. 1, 3and 7.

In order to eliminate accidental damage or tearing of the handle 26 fromthe tea-ball 26 when packing for shipment or removal for use, and tofacilitate compact packaging of said teaballs, the handle 26 may be madelonger than the distance across the package from the handle junction 24ato the opposite edge fold 22, a cross fold 26b may be provided on thehandle end 26a just beyond the flange 24 and another cross fold 26cprovided adjacent the elongated free end 26d of said handle 26, so thatsaid fold 260 may be positioned to releasably embrace the fold edge 22of the tea-ball bag as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, a dot and dash line beingshown in Fig. l to indicate the position for making fold 26b and 260.

The above described construction and arrangement of folded handle avoidsthe objection usually found with dangling handles on tea-balls and makesup a neater looking package with spaced areas for imprinting on oppositesides of the handle 26, a legend or marking 28, near the handle end 26dand a legend 29 on the midportion of the handle 26. Thus legends 28 or29 are visible when the tea-ball 20 is seen from either flat sidethereof, as is clear from Figs. 1 and}.

In Fig. 6 is shown the construction of a fragmentary portion of atea-ball I which may be like tea-ball 20 described above, except thatthe handle I26 is attached to the bag portion of the tea-ball I20 byanchoring I24a at a corner of flanges I24 and I25. The ordinarycorrugation provided on the structure of the flanges I24 and I wouldnormally form a cross-corrugation area I21 and thereby increase theanchorage thereat.

In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 there is shown a pouchshaped tea-ball having the bagportion thereof formed with folds 30a in the flat side thereof andextending through heat sealed seam joint top flanges 34, the heat sealedside flanges 33 and being formed in the manner described for teaball 20above and as shown in Figs. 7 and 9.

As shown in Fig. 8, the end 25a for handle 26 is heat sealed between theportion of folds 30a at flange 34, the width of the handle 26 preferablybeing made the length of the folded flange 34 so that the intersectingcross corrugation 31 formed on flanges 33, 34 and 35 provide additionalanchorage structure for the heat sealed attachment of the handle end 26aat the flange 34.

In Fig. 10 another form of pouch shaped teaball construction embodyingthe invention is shown. Here the bag portion of tea ball may be made inthe same manner as that described above for tea-ball 20 with side seamjoint flanges 43 and 45. The open ended bag portion of teaball 40 whenfilled has the handle end 26a inserted into the open end of the bagportion and the latter gathered or twisted and pressure heat sealed forforming a permanent closure H as shown and thereby also providing a.reinforced anchorage for the handle 26 to the bag portion of thetea-ball 40.

In Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14 and l5-there is shown another square shapedtea ball 50 construction made with an integral handle 56 embodying theinvention. The tea ball 50 is preferably made from a folded web offilter sheet material having thin coating of a porous lamina liketea-ball 26 except that filter sheet material is extended beyond thenormal length of the bag portion thereof. Said folded web as seen fromFig. 11 is partially severed as at Ma and 56b Just above the top end ofthe flanges 53 and 55, respectively. The uncut portion 51 is folded onopposite sides along. the parallelly spaced fold lines indicated at 51ato provide when folded asshown in Figs. 12 and 13 the triple ply handle66. Said multiply handle 56 may be pressure heat sealed along its entirelength together with the Junction thereof with the bag portion of thetea-ball 50 heat sealed to provide the top closure 54 for the saidtea-ball 50.

Where it is desired to use the tea-ball 50 form of construction toinclude a stirring means, a stiff strip 56 of suitable material may beinserted to extend lengthwise the center of the handle 56 as shown inFigs. 14 and 15.

- If instead of making a square shaped bag portion as on tea-ball 50, itis desired to produce a pouch shaped bag portion, the same constructionis followed as shown in Fig. 11 and described above, then the top of thefilled bag is gathered or twisted as at I54, pressure heat sealed toprovide a permanent closure and reinforcement of the Junction of thehandle I56 to the bag portion of the tea-ball 50a as shown in Fig. 15.

It is to be understood that, if desired each of the tea-balls I20, 30,40, 50 and 50a above described may be provided with handle folds andlegends constructed and arranged in the same manner as the folds 26b,26c and legends 28, 29 on the handle 26 of the teaballs 20 as shown inFigs. 1, 4 and 5 so as to be non-dangling.

It will thus be seen that there is provided an Infusion package wherebythe several objects of this invention are achieved and which are welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention,and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth,it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in theaccompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention. I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. A package of the character described formed of overlying sheets offilter material secured together by heat sealing in face to facerelation along edge seam joints to form a bag for enclosing an infusionproduct, a strip-handle having an end extending in between said sheetsalong portion of said joints and'anchored by permanent fusion of theheat sealing closure thereat, said handle being of greater length thanthe width of the said package and including a first cross-fold providedadjacent the anchored end thereof for positioning the handle against aside of the bag,

and a second cross-fold spaced from said first fold for positioning anend portion of the handle beyond the edge seam joint opposite saidhandle anchoring closure to releasably embrace said edge joint andretain the handle in said first folded position. a

2. The package as defined in claim 1 in which the bag thereof isnormally square shaped, and said Junction of the handle with saidpermanent closure comprising structural means to provide a pouch-likeshape of the bag for the finished package.

3. The package as defined in claim 1 in which said handle anchoring heatsealed seam Joint closure includes a reinforcement therefor comprising adisplacement of the fused heat sealed sheet material out of a normallyaligning plane.

LOUIS BARNETT.

